Prayer for Today

Prayers for safety for people and horses to be protected from harm, and find strength in each other to continue this memorial ride for our relatives. Phidamayapi to all who help, be safe
Jean Nahomni Mani

Prayers up for all the riders, horses and support staff. Have a safe journey today and hopefully some fair weather. Many blessings for such an important ride. Thank you all. Stay safe and warm.
Cece Walter

You will see a lot of my personal memories on the page today as this town, Pipestone, is my Spiritual home, it is where my lovely late husband Chuck was born, lived his whole life working with Pipestone, teaching people about the Pipe and quarrying, educating those who wanted to learn in the Center and online. I worked alongside him for many years, it was a great honor to do so. He passed away in the same town, in the Center, as he had wanted to, again those of us who were around him at the time, including his sisters, his daughter, family and friends, including another Admin/Spiritual sister, Cari, were so lucky to be with him at this special time. to hold him, say goodbye, and talk him through his passing journey. Pipestone and the Little Feather Center mean so much to me, and so this year I wish to add my own memories to this page. Who knows what will happen tomorrow in this, oh so delicate, time period we are all living in. If I pass from Covid, then my ashes will be buried next to my Chuck and my good friend Elizabeth , in Pipestone. I hope that you will accept my humble personal touch today. - Gloria

From Ron

The riders move on 29 miles today to Russell. Total so far 203 miles

Family who work at the Monument. Left: my neice and nephew, Cindy and her brother Mark, on the right is Travis, Alice's son, and my nephew. All were born into a traditional family who's Mothers and grandmother, were also born into a Pipe making family in Pipestone. They don't have blood running in their veins they have sacred Pipestone dust! Chuck worked at the Monument for over 30 years before he retired, as did most of his family at one time or another. These are some of the people who kept the Pipe alive for the People. They quarry the stone for those who can't, for one reason or another, be it health, age, distance or time needed. The men mostly from the Pipestone Dakota Community do the difficult, dangerous, time consuming work for you, by hand with old traditional tools. So that you can get a piece of stone to make your sacred Pipe. They can also make you your dream Pipe. Just ask them. (Please don't think that other stone that you can get in big quantities on Ebay or gem shops is Catlinite from the Monument in Pipestone, it isn't. It comes from a quarry close to the town of Jasper. It is mined using machinery, not by hand by only Natives as the Pipestone Catlinite is. The other stone is much harder, a bit darker color, it shreiks when cut. The dust cannot be used for Sundancers skin as it has too much quartz in it and burns instead of protects,and it breaks your tools.) That stone caused the Pipestone Dakota Community many years of lies, discredit and pain. People thought that the stone being sold on line and in shops around the world was from Pipestone. It wasn't, it was from the Jasper area. Even some of you reading this fell for the lies, the marketing, the pretence, that those who sold this bad stone fed the world. I hope that those of you who know me, trust me as well and will believe me when I say Pipestone Catlinite doesn't disappoint, it always does what it is supposed to do,and that is to help you send your prayers in a good way to the Creator. - Gloria

The Little Feather Center before the Rider's come in. Again family members. Left are my sister-in-laws Carol and Betty, the painting above them represents my late husband Chuck, the one to the right represents their brother Butch who passed in the 80's. The photos in the corner, where the people are standing, are from the Ride, some of the compilations that Ron makes, as he sends Alice a set every year, always for free I must add! The photo of the couple is actually a painting done of Chuck and myself, it is our favorite photo, taken by our Dutch friend Nico. Next to that is a large photo of Chuck we had done for his Memorial celebration in 2011. - Gloria

My nephew Travis speaking to the Rider's while his Mom, Alice and the family were feeding them when they were in the Center yesterday.

Thanks to you all for putting up with me on this page today. If I have offended anyone I have to say that I have told the truth, and if that upsets anyone then so be it! Mitakuye Owasin - Gloria

Thanks to Nina Fox for these photos, she never lets us down with her wonderful photography -
Gloria

Roger Hook

The Riders will be staying at the Russell Community Center
The Horses will be at a Farm Coral in Russell
Breakfast will be with Alice at the Little Feather Center in Pipestone
Lunch will be with the Chuck Wagon
Dinner will be with Kris Hurst and Randy Hook,
In Memory of Roger Hook a long time Supporter in Russell, who passed in 2020

Thanks to all who have helped in the area.